Frequently Asked Questions

Identity theft is a crime where a criminal acquires and uses the victims' personal information, such as Social Security or driver's license numbers, to take out loans, obtain new credit cards, rent an apartment, buy a car, incur debt, file for bankruptcy, as well as other criminal activities. Identity theft can not only damage someone's creditworthiness, it can also create unknown criminal records that can result in the identity theft victim being wrongly arrested or denied employment after a routine background check.

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Identity thieves use a variety of methods to gain access to your personal information. For example:

• They get information from businesses or institutions by:
  • Stealing records from their employer
  • Bribing an employee who has access to the records
  • Conning information out of employees
  • Hacking into the organization's computers
• They "dumpster dive" through your trash at home or work to find bills and credit statements that contain personal information
• They fraudulently obtain credit reports by either posing as a perspective landlord or misusing an employer's authorized access to credit reports
• They steal credit and debit card account numbers as your card is processed by using a special information storage device in a practice known as "skimming"
• They steal wallets and purses containing identification and credit and bank cards
• They steal your mail or complete a change of address to redirect your mail so that they will receive your credit card statements or tax information
• They use camera phones to take a picture of your credit or personal information while you complete a retail transaction
• They steal personal information from your home
• They scam information from you by posing as a legitimate business person or government official

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There is no foolproof way to completely prevent identity theft but the best way to minimize your risk is to protect and monitor your personal information which enables earlier detection of potential fraudulent activities. Early detection of fraud greatly reduces the financial, emotional and legal burden associated with identity theft. Here are some tips to help protect your identity:

1. Protect your Social Security Number

• Don't carry your Social Security card with you
• Refuse to provide your Social Security Number. Only a few organizations such as motor vehicle departments, tax departments and welfare departments have the right to require your Social Security number. In addition, employers, banks and other financial institutions that necessitate tax transactions can require your Social Security Number, but for all other accounts, ask if they will accept an alternative proof of identification
• Don't put your Social Security Number on your driver’s license. Ask for an alternative number to be provided
• Don't put your Social Security Number on your personal checks

2. Guard your personal information

• Watch for people who may try to look over your shoulder, eavesdrop or take a picture with a camera phone when exchanging personal information.
• Shred. Before you throw out any documents that contain any sensitive or personal information such as credit card statements or offers, utility bills, or tax documents, make sure you completely shred them.
• Use a locked mailbox to send and receive all mail.

3. Know and monitor your personal information

• Frequently check your public record profiles (for example, Driver Motor Vehicle, Medical Information Bureau, and credit reporting agencies) to validate that all of the information reported is correct
• Frequently check your credit report(s) to validate that all of the information listed is correct

4. Be suspicious

• Do not respond to suspicious "phishing" email requests and never send information such as your Social Security Number, credit card number, or user ID/password information through an email
• Never provide information to a telephone solicitor unless you have initiated the call and it is a legitimate institution

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1. Consistently monitor both your financial and public record information and look for:

• Unfamiliar criminal records, court records, address information, or bankruptcies
• Unexplained charges or withdrawals

2. Other signs that can indicate possible of identity theft:

• Failing to receive bills or other mail. This may signal an address change by the identity thief.
• Being served court papers or arrest warrants for actions you did not commit.
• Receiving credit cards for which you did not apply.
• Being denied credit for no apparent reason.
• Receiving calls or letters from debt collectors or businesses about merchandise or services you did not buy.

Although any of these indications could be a result of a simple clerical error, you should not assume that there has been a mistake and do nothing. Always follow up with the business or institution to find out.

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According to the U.S. Attorney General's office, the Secret Service oversees identity theft, and this office advises you to:

• Report the crime to the police immediately. Get a copy of your police report or case number. Credit card companies, your bank, and the insurance company may ask you to reference the report to verify the crime.
• Immediately contact your credit card issuers. Get replacement cards with new account numbers and ask that the old account be processed as "account closed at consumer's request" for credit record purposes. You should also follow up this telephone conversation with a letter to the credit card company that summarizes your request in writing.
• Call the fraud units of the 3 credit reporting bureaus and ask that your accounts be flagged. Also, add a victim's statement to your report that requests that they contact you to verify future credit applications:
  
• Equifax Inc.^® Credit Information Services — Consumer Fraud Div.
  P.O. Box 105496
  Atlanta, Georgia 30348-5496
  Tel: 1.800.997.2493
  www.equifax.com
  
• Experian^®
  P.O. Box 2104
  Allen, Texas 75013-2104
  Tel: 1.888.EXPERIAN (397.3742)
  www.experian.com
  
• Transunion^SM Fraud Victim Assistance Dept.
  P.O. Box 390
  Springfield, Pennsylvania 19064-0390
  Tel: 1.800.680.7289
  www.transunion.com


• Keep a log of all conversations with authorities and financial entities-and follow-up. Make sure that all creditors or credit bureaus have received what they need from you.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the federal clearinghouse for complaints by victims of identity theft. Although the FTC does not have the authority to bring criminal cases, the Commission assists victims of identity theft by providing them with information to help them resolve the financial and other problems that can result from identity theft. The FTC also may refer victim complaints to other appropriate government agencies and private organizations for further action. If you have been a victim of identity theft, you can file a complaint with the FTC by contacting the FTC's Consumer Response Center.

Review your reports regularly and make sure all changes you requested have been effected.

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Phishing is the term that is used to describe an email scam that identity thieves use to trick people into giving out their personal information such as credit card or Social Security Numbers. These emails appear to be from well known, legitimate organizations and tell recipients that they need to "respond immediately" regarding an issue with their account or that they have won a prize. The emails often contain a link which redirects you to completely phony site which looks legitimate, complete with the company logo, that asks you to enter or update your personal information such as passwords, Social Security number, bank account, or credit card numbers which they then steal.

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While the emails may look genuine with sophisticated graphics and logos, legitimate emails from a financial institution will never ask you to enter or reply with personal information such as your Social Security Number or credit card number. Be wary of emails that:

• Ask you to enter any personal information such as your bank account number, an account password, credit card number, PIN, mother's maiden name, or Social Security Number
• Fail to address you by your name
• Fail to confirm the company does business with you, such as referencing a partial account number
• Warn that your account will be shut down unless you reconfirm your financial information - scare tactics are often used to get the recipient to act on the request
• Warn that you have been the victim of fraud
• Have spelling or grammatical errors
• Ask you to send payment information via email

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If you receive an email that you think may be a phishing scam, you should report the email by forwarding it to the following addresses: spam@uce.gov and the Anti-Phishing Working Group at reportphishing@antiphishing.org. The Anti-Phishing Working Group is a collective organization created to combat phishing fraud, consisting of 680 member companies made up of eight of the top 10 U.S. financial institutions and four of the top five internet service providers.

In addition to notifying the above mentioned agencies, the companies that are being fraudulently spoofed also take these phishing attacks very seriously. If you suspect the email is bogus, go directly to the legitimate company site (not by clicking on a link in the email; search the internet for the company name if you do not already have the address) and visit their security center which often will provide information about these email scams and how to report the event.

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Each individual record, such as a tax lien, criminal record, lawsuit information, or court decision, can be acquired (sometimes for a fee) to anyone who requests that specific record from the recording jurisdiction.

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No. Public records, by law, are available to the public. Records, such as tax liens, real estate information, criminal records, lawsuit information, and court decisions, are made available to anyone who contacts the appropriate jurisdiction and requests to view them.

Copyright 2009© Intersections Inc.

Early detection of identity theft is one of the most important factors in helping to reduce the financial and legal burden that can result from identity theft. The identity thief can acquire a driver's license, get married, or even get arrested using your identity and you would never know this by looking at your credit report alone. Having access to both public record information, coupled with your credit information, is one of the most effective ways to combat identity theft.

Copyright 2009© Intersections Inc.